M113 Zelda (Israel)

Glen Martin | Academy #1372

The M113 Zelda was an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) version of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. Widely used from the 1970s onward, the Zelda received modifications based on Israeli combat experience, most notably additional external armor and improved crew protection. Armed primarily with machine guns, it transported infantry, supplies, and specialized equipment while also serving in command, engineering, and support roles. Although reliable and highly mobile, its relatively light armor eventually made it vulnerable to modern anti-armor weapons.

I'm going to model an I.D.F.  "ZELDA" M-113 Israeli APC, timeframe to be decades after the Yom Kippur action, all rusted up and worn the hell out. I’m going to use the Academy Zelda kit with three different PE sets, an AFV Club spare track set, add-on water stowage racks for the 20 liter cannisters as well as a three volume M-113 Zelda book series from Eagle Publishing. I also ordered a decal set and a set of 5 female crew figures. I want this in a simple Vignette scene with the crew accentuating the scene. The I.D.F. had their initial female armor crew pilot program in 2017, training crews to use the Zelda. The vehicle will be in its sad worn out condition, decades later after entering service in the 1973 Yom Kippur Action. I intend to call the project “New Blood, Old Treads.”

Additional Accessories:

• AFV Club tracks

• Crew figures

• Photoetch sets from Eduard & Verlinden